EASTON, Pa. — In late January, Ricky Brown started getting noticed everywhere he went — on the street, in the grocery store and even on Valentine’s Day, when bouquets were mysteriously placed all over his car by proud neighbors who wanted to celebrate their local “Wheel of Fortune” champion.
Nearly a year after filming his episode, which aired in early 2025, the Trenton Psychiatric Hospital worker has become a familiar face in the Lehigh Valley. Neighbors, shoppers and strangers on the street stop him to celebrate his victory, which earned him a congressional certificate and a surge of local pride.
“I used to beg for food and sell drinking glasses in Jamaica,” Brown said in a recent interview. “I don’t take anything for granted.”
Brown grew up watching “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy!” on a black-and-white television in Jamaica. His brother had to adjust the antenna from the roof to keep the signal clear, but the game shows quickly became a staple.
Years later, while working evening medication rounds at the hospital, a patient noticed his knack for solving puzzles during the show’s 7:30 p.m. broadcast.
“Every time it would come on, I would blow it out the park,” Brown said. “She would tell me, ‘Listen, Ricky, I’m getting discharged soon. I think you should do it, because you’re really good at it. It will make me happy.’ And she’d tell me every day.”
When the patient was released, Brown decided to follow through. He made a quick audition video from his car.
“I said, ‘Listen, I don’t know if this is real. I don’t know if you guys are even gonna view this, but here we go. I’m Ricky. I work in a hospital. I’m married, I have a son. I’m Jamaican. A patient told me to audition, so I’m doing this to make her happy. Hope I hear from you guys,’” he recalled.
What followed was a months-long audition process that Brown at first thought was a scam. During his first callback, he grew frustrated after waiting on Zoom with no response.
“I’m getting a little annoyed, because I could have went to work, man, like I knew this was a scam,” he said. “And then I saw the Sony logo, and then I saw the ‘Wheel of Fortune’ logo, and when the lady popped on the screen, it was an out-of-body experience.”
Auditions tested his energy, puzzle-solving under pressure and scheduling availability, before producers gathered contestants for a group call. But travel costs nearly forced him to give up. Flights to California ran about $800, and contestants cover their own travel and hotel in hopes of partial reimbursement. Brown had to turn down multiple taping dates, leaving him crushed.
The turning point came from his 12-year-old son, who kept seeing commercials for the show on his iPad. “I guess ‘Wheel of Fortune’ is the place to be,” his son said.
Inspired, Brown wrote and recorded a song called “Wheel of Fortune Is the Place to Be.” Within two days of sending it in, producers called back with urgency: “You really, really need to come to California.”
On the big day, nerves hit hard.
“As much as I knew what the answer was, I felt scared, because I knew everybody was looking at me,” Brown said. “I just blurted out the answer, and I just prayed it was the right one, and it was. I just lost control and stepped on [Ryan Seacrest’s] feet.”
That moment has since been replayed across social media, turning Brown’s episode into a fan favorite.
The attention has been mostly positive, though he admits the adjustment took time.
“Sometimes, especially in the Lehigh Valley, we get caught up in thinking that the Lehigh Valley is the world and it’s not,” Brown said. “There’s such a big world out there. You really have to believe in yourself.”
Brown, who graduated from Easton High School, said the experience has opened new doors. He is set to take a cruise next September as part of his winnings, and producers have hinted at a possible return to the show.
His son remains unimpressed, at least most of the time.
“I asked him how he felt, and he said, ‘You know, I don’t see why everybody’s freaking out over my dad,’” Brown said, laughing. “I’m just that goof-off Jamaican dad that makes him food.”
For Brown, the victory is more than personal recognition.
“Some people have so many negative things to say about the Lehigh Valley, but the ones that are talking have not contributed anything,” he said. “My theory is you really can’t say much if you haven’t put some form of contribution in the pot.”
His message, he said, is simple: believe in yourself and take chances.
“Sometimes things happen in your life to build your character, to get you prepared for something bigger than you could ever fathom,” Brown said. “Sometimes God has things planned for you that’s bigger than what you have planned for yourself.”